The field of the invention relates to amusement or theme park attractions and rides. More specifically, the invention relates to a new and useful section of track for a fixed path amusement ride vehicle, which section of track can be decoupled from the fixed path for movement along or about up to three axes in space with between one to six degrees of freedom.
Various amusement rides have been created to provide passengers with unique motion and visual experiences, including roller coasters, themed rides, and simulators. Roller coasters and themed rides typically have the limitation of being a fixed ride experience, with changes to the ride being made only at great expense. As a result, passengers can become familiar with the ride, which limits the excitement of the ride. Additionally, roller coasters and theme rides generally lack the ability to be pointed and rotated in any direction.
To create improved rides, simulators have been placed on moving vehicles. The vehicle typically travels over a set course with the motion base providing e.g., controlled pitch, roll, yaw, heave, surge, and slip movement.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,095,926 describes one amusement ride vehicle having a vehicle chassis adapted for traveling on a fixed track and a motion base connected to the chassis. The motion base provides between one and six degrees of freedom to the ride vehicle relative to the chassis as it travels along on the fixed track.
Even these improved rides typically have a closed loop track path, with sidings for maintenance. Switches for directing a ride vehicle along a different section of the track are integrated to the fixed track and at least one rail is always connected to the track throughout the switch. Turntables, which do separate a track section at both ends have only one degree of freedom as they rotate. Further, turntables are limited by the rotation to changing the direction of a ride vehicle at a fixed angle of rotation from the original direction of travel and in the same plane. Other single degree of freedom track switch examples include transfer tracks, which move in one lateral degree of freedom, rotary switches that move about the roll axis, and teeter-totter switches that move about the pitch axis. Teeter-totter switches always have a vehicle on board the switch assembly in order to function, but it is not always the case with transfer tracks or rotary switches. Track sections of amusement rides are thus not generally separable or decoupled in three-space from other track sections for movement during a ride.
Accordingly, there is a need to provide an improved track section for an amusement ride vehicle.